Spirit (Spirit album)
Spirit's self-titled, experimental debut album was marked by Jay Ferguson's eclectic writing style, Syd Barrett's psychotropism and Jim Morrison's West Coast bohemianism. The result was commercially successful, garnered significant underground FM airtime and the album reached #31 on the Billboard LP charts. The band later curtailed its psychedelia and focused on a broader array of genres.
The album was first published by Ode Records in 1968. It has since been reprinted by Sony, repackaged in compact-disc form and remastered from original analogue tapes.
Track listing
|
| 1. |
"Fresh-Garbage" | Jay Ferguson |
3:11 |
| 2. |
"Uncle Jack" | Ferguson |
2:44 |
| 3. |
"Mechanical World" | Mark Andes, Ferguson |
5:15 |
| 4. |
"Taurus" | Randy California |
2:37 |
| 5. |
"Girl in Your Eye" | Ferguson |
3:15 |
| 6. |
"Straight Arrow" | Ferguson |
2:50 |
| 7. |
"Topanga Windows" | Ferguson |
3:36 |
| 8. |
"Gramophone Man" | Andes, California, Ed Cassidy, Ferguson, John Locke |
3:49 |
| 9. |
"Water Woman" | Ferguson |
2:11 |
| 10. |
"The Great Canyon Fire in General" | Ferguson |
2:46 |
| 11. |
"Elijah" | Locke |
10:42 |
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| 12. |
"Veruska" | California |
2:50 |
| 13. |
"Free Spirit" | Locke |
4:27 |
| 14. |
"If I Had a Woman" | California |
3:11 |
| 15. |
"Elijah" (Alternate Take) | Locke |
9:42 |
Personnel
Spirit
Production
- Lou Adler – Producer
- Marty Paich - String & Horn Arrangements
- Eirik Wangberg, Armin Steiner & Mike Leitz - Engineers
- Corporate Head - Album Design
- Tom Wilkes – Art Direction
- Guy Webster – Cover Photo
- Jay Thompson - Back Cover Photo
- Terry Clements, Marshall Blonstein, Doug Wallack - Assistance
- Vic Anesini – Mastering, Mixing
- Nicholas Bennett – Packaging Manager
- Adam Block – Project Director, Project Coordinator
- Bob Irwin – Producer, Compilation Producer
- Jeff Smith – Package Design
- Jay Thompson – Photography, Insert Photography
- Douglas Wallack - Special Thanks / Road Manager
Charts
Album
| Year |
Chart |
Position |
|---|
| 1968 |
Billboard 200 |
31 |
| 1973 |
Billboard 200 |
191 |
|
Miscellanea
The song "Fresh-Garbage" has been sampled in the Pink song "Feel Good Time", found on the soundtrack of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. "Fresh Garbage" was also used as the title (and theme music) of a rock music program on BBC Radio London in the early 1970s.
In 1973, Epic released a two-disc LP repackage of Spirit and Clear entitled "Spirit".
The guitar riff that occurs about :43 into "Taurus" is said to have influenced Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page in 'composing' his famous intro to "Stairway to Heaven".[3] Led Zeppelin opened for Spirit on an American tour in 1968, and also borrowed the riff of "Fresh Garbage" during early live performances of the song 'As Long as I Have You'.[4]
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Spirit – "Taurus"
Excerpt from "Taurus" – 226 kb
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| Problems playing this file? See media help. |
See also
References
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ Sculatti, Gene (14 September 1968). "Recorsd". Rolling Stone (San Francisco: Rolling Stone).
- ↑ Guitar World Magazine, April 1997: "California's most enduring legacy may well be the fingerpicked acoustic theme of the song "Taurus," which Jimmy Page lifted virtually note for the introduction to "Stairway to Heaven."
- ↑ Sleeve notes to 1996 reissue of Spirit's debut album, booklet included with CD EPC 485175
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|---|
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- Mark Andes
- Barry Keane
- Larry Knight
- Steve Loria
- Scott Monahan
- Mike Nile
- Al Staehely
- Chris Staehely
- George Valuck
- Dave Waterbury
| | | Studio Albums | |
|---|
| | Live Albums | |
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| | Compilations |
- The Best Of Spirit (1973)
- Time Circle, 1968–1972 (1991)
- Chronicles, 1967–1992 (1992)
- The Mercury Years (1997)
- Cosmic Smile (2000)
- Sea Dream (2002)
- Blues From the Soul (2003)
- Son of America (2005)
- Original Potato Land (2006)
- Salvation – the Spirit of '74 (2007)
- Rock and Roll Planet...1977–1979 (2008)
- California Blues Redux (2009)
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| | Soundtrack | |
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